Ruthless Bargain

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have sat elsewhere but I did as I was told. I settled on the space beside Lucien, his cologne hitting me softly, wafting into my nose and up to my brain where I registered his scent elsewhere. Lucien's hands found mine and my body froze. It took me some minutes to register his warm hands gliding against mine, perfect, looking so perfect like we were made for each other. He mumbled something to the man as I couldn't hear a word, my brain was in a haze. The man approached us and handed Lucien a small case and that was only when I realized he was a jeweler. Lucien measured my fingers and handed him back the case but still yet, he didn't let go of my hand. They spoke about the ring preferences for a while before the man left. The moment he left, Lucien let go of my hands and exited the room without turning back. Like he was not the man who placed his hands on mine a few moments ago. Back in my room, the hairstylists arrived first. They were two of them, each radiating in their own way and offering soft smiles. They arranged the equipments while I sat facing the mirror, watching my reflection change slowly. They tried to engage me in conversations, something I was grateful for. It made the heaviness in my chest loosen a bit until my phone chimed halfway through my hair. It was a message from Iris. Amelia where are you?? We promised same time tomorrow. You didn't stick to the agreement, neither are you picking up my calls. Are you okay? I stared back at her name on my screen and kept re-reading her text, wondering how my life truly transformed in one night. Then I typed back that I was unwell but it was a mild thing and I would resume work soon. She needed not worry. I set the phone face down on the vanity table, pressing my tongue hard against my cheeks to stop the sting of tears I was feeling. The make up artist was working on my face and I didn't want to ruin it. . The time for the wedding drew faster than I could decipher and finally the dresses were brought in. Five dresses. The dresses were laid out on the bed and I had to try out each one to get the perfect dress. I tried the first, then the second, then the third. The third made everyone in the room gasp, their mouths hanging open and I only understood why when I faced the mirror. The dress had a slit that ran from my thighs and down to my ankle. The dress had no neckline, it held my breast in place, revealing just enough to make a man's Adam apple throb. The stylists kept whispering things I couldn't hear, saying I looked gorgeous and all but my mind was elsewhere, far from all of that. Twenty four hours ago, I was called a whore by my aunt and spent almost all my night in the laundry and now....I was getting married. They handed me a bouquet of roses as we exited the room, white roses. Two stylists walked behind me, helping with the dress. I took the first step down the staircase. The sitting room was transformed entirely, it wasn't the way it was earlier when I came down for the ring. It looked like a ceremony would be hosted. Soft lighting and white fabric adorned the place. There was no witness left for Dominic who stood few feet away. And Lucien. He stood at the centre of it all, clad in a black perfectly tailored suit. His hands were clasped in front of him and his expression remained the constant one I was finally understanding was his default demeanor. Except, his eyes, they betrayed him a little. His eyes moved to me the moment I appeared on those stairs, travelling slowly. Down the dress, pausing at the slit and then slowly up to the visible skin on my chest and back to my face. His lingering stares were doing something to